LAHORE: The Punjab public prosecution department on Thursday convened 17th meeting of the Pakistan Prosecution Forum (PPF) in the provincial capital.

The meeting, funded by the US embassy’s office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement and facilitated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was called a step toward promoting legislative and policy reforms in the country’s criminal justice system.

Senior officials from prosecution and criminal justice stakeholders from Punjab and other provinces deliberated to advance critical rule of law reforms by sharing experiences and discussing solutions for the common challenges they face.

Supreme Court’s former judge Khalilur Rehman Ramday spoke as the chief guest and lauded the forum.

He said, “Together, we will continue our journey towards a fairer and more equitable justice system inclusive of the gender specific needs of our communities.” He apprised that the Punjab government was committed to reform the current criminal justice system for the posterity while ensuring “rule of law”.

Punjab Secretary of Prosecution Usman Anwar said the PPF was a valuable opportunity to learn from each other and to share best practices. “I am confident that this forum will help us improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the prosecution system,” he added.

The meeting highlighted the Punjab prosecution department’s interventions, including the prosecution capacity building project, police training modernisation, and integration of the case flow management system and prison management information system.

UNODC Adviser for Criminal Justice System and Legal Reforms Arsalan Malik said: “UNODC is proud to support PPF. We are committed to working with the Pakistan government to strengthen the prosecution system.”

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2024